Services & Programs

The Roger Williams University Alcohol Incident Referral (AIR) Program

The AIR program at Roger Williams University is an educational/assessment program done by the Health and Wellness Educators in cooperation with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Students violating any alcohol or other drug use campus/housing policy can be sanctioned to the AIR program. It consists of alcohol use assessment and education counseling.

HAWEs are trained in the use of state of the art components for brief interventions. Motivational interviewing skills form the basis of the session. HAWEs follow the BASICS model (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) which is a harm reduction approach. BASICS combines capability deficits as well as developmental and motivaltional aspects. This model assumes that (1) many of these students lack important information and coping skills to drink moderately; (2) certain developmental milestones contribute to heavy drinking (e.g. separation from parents and assumption of adult activites); and (3) personal factors (e.g. faulty beliefs about alcohol) and enviornmental factors (e.g. peer pressure, heavy-drinking friends, cultural mindset of "drink until drunk") inhibit the use of behavioral skills that the students have in their repetoires. The primary goal is to move a student in the direction of reducing risky behaviors and harmful effects of drinking as opposed to focusing explicitly on a specific drinking goal (e.g. abstinence).

One-on-one Sessions with the Director of Health Education

For serious alcohol incidences or those involving illegal drugs, students may be sanctioned to meet individually with the Director of Health Education. In this session, a Brief Motivational Interviewing strategy is used. Motivational interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence.

The spirit of the method can be characterized in a few key points:

Motivation to change is elicited from the client and not imposed from without.

It is the client's task, not the counselor's, to articulate and resolve his or her ambivalence.

Direct persuasion is not used.

The counseling style is usually a quiet and eliciting one.

The counselor is directive in helping the client to examine and resolve ambivalence.

Readiness to change is not a client trait, but a fluctuating product of interpersonal interaction.

The therapeutic relationship is more like a partnership or companionship than expert/recipient roles.

The Wellness program has a variety of video’s, books, journals, articles, bulletin boards, and brochures are available for loan to the RWU community. It also creates educational materials available in the recreation center.

AlcoholEdu

All incoming freshmen are required to take this on-line educational course on alcohol use and prevention.

Campus Promotions

The HAWEs promote campus wide educational campaigns on a variety of health topics. These include social norms campaigns which address the differences between perception and actual behavior, educational tables that stand alone or are combined with other events on campus, poster campaigns, print ads in the Hawk's Herald, and local community action.

Workshops and Presentations

Anyone who is interested in programming with the Health and Wellness Educators needs to fill out a formal program request form. All request forms need to be filed in the Health Education Office at least 3 weeks prior to the program date. Requesters are responsible for all advertisements, attendance, and candy as an alternative prize.

Description of Programs Available:

Sex and Alcohol ProgramsSex And Candy: Interactive question and answer sexual health program. Rewards (condoms, lube, or candy) are provided for correct answers. Also includes demonstrations.Sex, Drugs, And Rock n’ Roll: Interactive question and answer program about sexual health, alcohol, and drugs. Includes questions about famous rock and rollers. Rewards (condoms, lube, or candy) are provided for correct answers. Also includes demonstrations and can be played with rock playlist in background.Sex Jeopardy: Interactive question and answer program about sexual health. Rewards (condoms, lube, or candy) are provided for correct answers. Also includes demonstrations.Sex In The Dark: Interactive question and answer sexual health program. Residents are encouraged to anonymously ask questions relating to sexual health. Also includes a sex conversation and demonstrations.Intoxicating Information: Interactive alcohol program with the “Alcohol IQ test”, to see how much students really know about alcohol. Also includes demonstrations and an information session on how to drink safely.“A” Game Night: Interactive alcohol game night. Games that can be played include jeopardy, tic-tac-toe, and family feud style games, as well as the HAWE Wheel Of Wellness with an alcohol focus. Also includes demonstrations, and prizes can be awarded for winning individuals or teams.Haze Movie Screening: Movie showing followed by discussion about reactions to the movie. Specific questions can be asked as well. Deals with important topics about alcohol poisoning, hazing, and communication.Sober Reflections: Movie showing followed by discussion about reactions to the movie. Specific questions can be asked as well. Deals with important topics about binge drinking, negative consequences, and how people act under the influence.

Nutrition ProgramsEat This Not That: Nutrition program based on popular food chains menu items. Similar to the Eat This Not That books. Also includes demonstrations. Corresponds with the Eat This Not That bulletin board.Salt, Sugar, Fat: Discussion and informational nutrition program about the three ingredients that should be limited within a healthy, balanced diet.Size It Up: Interactive and informational nutrition program focusing on the importance of a variety of measurements within nutrition. Major focus on portion sizes with models, Calories, and daily food breakdown using the food pyramid, but can also discuss Body Mass Index (BMI).

Stress ProgramsMeditation Exploration: A stress relieving program with a meditation exercise that is meant to relax both the body and mind.Give Me A Break – Massage: Interactive massage therapy program where individuals learn how to properly give massages. Great program for people to come in pairs (best friends, roommates, significant others, etc) to be able to learn on each other, but people can come alone as well! Can also discuss other forms of stress relief. Please note that HAWEs do not give personal massages.Aromatherapy: Interactive, hands on stress relief program that allows students to create their own stress relief pillows using flax seed and essential oils. Discusses the benefits of the variety of different scents and herbs available.

Bulletin Board In A Box Program:

The Health Education office also has re-useable bulletin boards available for check-out.

Rules for Bulletin Boards in a Box:

All bulletin boards need to be signed out and back in on sign out sheet in bulletin board cabinet.

All bulletin boards are to be put up using TAPE (either scotch or blue tape rolled on backs of laminated paper).

All bulletin boards need to be put up in a bulletin board case that can be LOCKED!

Person who signs out bulletin board is responsible for it while it is outside of the Health Education office. Any missing pieces or damage may result in loss of bulletin board privileges. All bulletin boards will be checked by a HAWE when they are returned.

All bulletin boards need to be returned to the Health Education office in a timely manner. Failure to return a bulletin board will result in a loss of bulletin board privileges.

Description of Bulletin Boards Available:

25 Tips to Live By: General Wellness bulletin board with 25 general tips for healthy living in college students. Tips include topics on nutrition, fitness, sexual health, alcohol, sleep, and many more! Based on Dr. Oz’s advice as well as advice from the HAWEs.Captain Luv Glove: Sexual health bulletin board with descriptions of common STI’s and STD’s. Comes with condoms available to put outside of bulletin board for residents to take.Eat This Not That: Nutrition bulletin board based on popular food chains menu items. Similar to the Eat This Not That books. Corresponds with the Eat This Not That Program.What’s On Your Plate?: Nutrition bulletin board focusing on how to eat healthy on campus. Includes general nutrition tips, as well as specific ideas and nutrition information in the commons.Safe Spring Break: Tips on how to have a safe spring break. Tips include topics on alcohol, drugs, sexual health, sun safety, and more! Very bright and colorful!Ash, Dope, Grass, Mary Jane, Pot, Queen Ann’s Lace, Weed…: Marijuana bulletin board with short and long term effects of marijuana use, effects on different age and gender groups, and more!

If you have any questions about programming with the HAWEs or the bulletin board program, please call our office at 401-254-3491.